Acts 3:1-10, Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar

Saturday, May 19

Not What We Expect, but What We Need

One morning on the way to the temple, Peter and John came across a crippled man begging for money. Although they did not have money, they did have something to give the man. Instead of giving alms, they healed him!

Now, the man could have been quite upset at being given a gift that was not what he was asking for. Certainly there were times when the apostles' miracles and healings upset the recipients. The man had a routine, a life he was used to, enough from alms to survive. Here come Peter and John, upsetting all of it. But the man could recognize the gift as a miracle. Instead of fear, he responded with joy and amazement. He went jumping and leaping, making of show of his healing.

Sometimes we think we know what we need. But when someone gives us something we are not expecting, we may not know how to respond. We could respond with aggravation because it was not what we were expecting. Or we could respond with joy because it is what we needed. What surprises await you this week?

Narrative Lectionary Text: Acts 3:1-10

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.